MGGZ01 - ISRAELI GAZA INCURSION - JERUSALEM JULY

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 002937 SIPDIS SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE AND IPA; NSC FOR DORAN/LOGERFO; PLEASE PASS TO USAID FOR KUNDER/MCCLOUD/BORODIN E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/14/2016 TAGS: PREL ASEC CASC KPAL KWBG PHUM SUBJECT: MGGZ01 - ISRAELI GAZA INCURSION - JERUSALEM JULY 14 SITREP Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles. Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d). -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) Violence declined in Gaza on July 13-14, in comparison to previous days. Palestinian gunmen and activists attempted to force open the Rafah border crossing on July 13, but were dispersed by the Palestinian Presidential Guard. President Abbas (Abu Mazen) told the press July 13 that the fate of the kidnapped soldier in Gaza should be resolved in a "Palestinian context," thus implicitly rejecting Hamas' calls to link the Gaza and Lebanon kidnappings. In contrast, Hamas public statements explicitly connected the two issues. The US veto in the UN Security Council received prominent coverage in the Palestinian media. The Karni Crossing was open for several hours on July 14; the Rafah, Kerem Shalom, and Sufa Crossings were closed. -------------- Military Developments -------------- ¶2. (SBU) July 13-14 were less violent than previous days in Gaza. A Palestinian man, reportedly a PIJ member, died near Khan Younis on July 13 when the truck he was driving exploded. IAF planes fired rockets into a building used by Hamas in Gaza City on July 13, causing damage but no injuries. The IAF struck a bridge in central Gaza. Israeli press reports say that IDF forces have withdrawn from the central and northern Gaza strip. ¶3. (SBU) Hamas and PIJ called for marches after Friday prayers on July 14, to protest ongoing IDF operations in Gaza and to express solidarity with Lebanon. At least five Qassam rockets were launched toward Israel from the northern Gaza strip; press reports say eight people were treated for shock and several buildings were damaged. ¶4. (C) At the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, as many as 60 gunmen and dozens of activists attempted to enter the Egyptian terminal from the Palestinian side in an effort to open the crossing to enable stranded Palestinians on the Egyptian side to enter Gaza. Palestinian Presidential Guard forces prevented the group from entering the terminal area and convinced them to leave. ¶5. (SBU) According to a UNHCR/WFP assessment, there are three groups of Palestinians at the border with Egypt: -- Approximately 4-5,000 in the town of al-Arish. This group is described as staying in local hotels and not in need of immediate assistance; -- Approximately 400 in two large tents adjacent to the border. This group is described as including "a lot" of medical cases, including patients who had received medical treatment in Egypt and were on their way home to Gaza. They are described as the group in most need of assistance. -- Approximately 900 in the Rafah terminal building (including 170 in transit who lack visas for Egypt). Conditions are described as crowded, but the terminal is said to be new with working air conditioning. -------------- Political Developments -------------- ¶6. (C) President Mahmud Abbas (Abu Mazen) held an emergency meeting with members of the PLO Executive Committee and PA figures in Ramallah the evening of July 13. The leadership meeting concluded with a public statement expressing Palestinian solidarity with Lebanon, warning against turning the current crisis into a regional conflict, urging Palestinians in Lebanon to abide by decisions taken by the Government of Lebanon, and vowing to continue efforts to end the crisis in Gaza. ¶7. (SBU) After meeting with the visiting Japanese Prime Minister on July 13, Abu Mazen told the press that the fate of the Israeli soldier in Gaza should be resolved "in a Palestinian context," implicitly rejecting linkage of the issue with Hizballah's kidnapping of two IDF soldiers in Lebanon. By contrast, Hamas publicly called upon Hizballah to coordinate any prisoner exchanges and urged Hizballah to negotiate a comprehensive deal that would release all prisoners in Israeli jails in exchange for all three abducted Israeli soldiers. ¶8. (SBU) Palestinian press gave prominent coverage to the July 13 US veto in the UN Security Council, describing the vetoed text as calling for an end to IDF operations in Gaza and for the release of the kidnapped IDF soldier. ¶9. (SBU) A group representing Palestinians deported by Israel from the West Bank to Gaza and to some European countries in 2002 held a press conference in Gaza on July 13. Fahmi Kan'an, speaking on behalf of the deportees, praised the Hizballah operation and asked that Hizballah keep the Palestinian deportees in mind when negotiating the release of the Israeli soldiers. -------------- Humanitarian Developments -------------- ¶10. (SBU) Crossings: The Kerem Shalom and Sufa crossings remain closed. The Rafah passenger crossing remains closed. The Karni/al-Mintar commercial crossing was reported open as of 1130 local, July 14, but had closed as of 1300 local. During operational hours on July 14, 79 truckloads were delivered, mostly foodstuffs. Karni was open July 13 and processed 170 inbound truckloads of mainly food, according to Gaza-based Paltrade staff member Mohammed Skaik. According to USAID Gaza-based field staff, 22 inbound truckloads, carrying food, spare parts, and 14 generators, passed through Erez crossing July 13, along with three ambulances for the Palestinian Red Crescent Society. The Nahal Oz fuel transfer station is operational on July 14. ¶11. (SBU) Electricity: According to USAID Gaza-based field staff, all ten medium-tension electricity feeder lines into Gaza are operational. ¶12. (SBU) Health: The World Health Organization (WHO) reported July 13 that the European Commission, through the Temporary International Mechanism (TIM),delivered 300,000 liters of diesel for generators to Gaza European Hospital in Khan Younis and Dar al-Shifa and al-Nasser Pediatric Hospitals, both in Gaza City. The WHO also noted that, since June 25, only 22 patients have been allowed to exit Gaza through the Erez Crossing for medical treatment. WALLES